Graft: ICPC slams fresh 9-count charge on El-Rufai,

From Noah Ebije, Kaduna

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has filed fresh nine-count charges against former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over alleged fraud, abuse of office and corruption.

At the resumed hearing before the Kaduna State High Court, El-Rufai took his plea, while the court also heard his bail application, with ruling fixed for Tuesday, April 14.

Lead counsel to the former governor, Ukpong Abang, told journalists that the amended charge dropped one of the earlier defendants, leaving El-Rufai as the sole defendant.

He, however, faulted the late service of the new charges.

“The charges are entirely new to us. They were given to us this morning while we were already in court. That is why the matter could not proceed to hearing,” Abang said.

He added that the defence team would review the amended charges before taking a position.

“We will analyse the charges and make our position known. For now, there is nothing we can do until we have fully reviewed them,” he said.

In the charge marked KDH/KAD/ICPC/01/2026, the ICPC alleged that El-Rufai committed multiple offences while in office.

Count One accuses him of inducing the Kaduna State Government in 2016 to confer an N11 billion benefit on Indokaduna MRTS JV Nigeria Limited for a light rail project allegedly not executed.

Counts Two and Three allege that he approved and received about N289.8 million in severance benefits, far exceeding the legally approved N20 million.

In Count Four, the prosecution alleged that he dishonestly disposed of over $1 million, part of a World Bank loan to the state, in breach of the loan agreement.

Count Five accuses him of conspiring with others now at large to offer inducements to federal investigators to compromise an ongoing probe.

Other counts border on alleged breaches of procurement laws in the award of a multi-billion naira CCTV contract, undue advantage to associates, and unlawful land allocations.

The court adjourned to April 14 for ruling on the bail application.